<< Prev Page 2 of 2 Built around a steel tubular spaceframe, the Cooper T61 chassis was very much state-of-the-art. Additional structural rigidity was provided by the steel floor panel, which was welded to the chassis. Suspension was by double wishbones on all four corners. Constructed from aluminium, the lightweight body was draped as tightly over the running gear as possible to make for a very slippery design.
Dubbed the Cooper T61P, the unique Maserati V8-engined machine debuted at Silverstone in May of 1964. Roy Salvadori drove the, yet unpainted, Cooper to second overall and first class in the Silverstone International race for Sports cars. Now painted deep metallic green with a red nose to indicate the engine's origins, the Anglo-Italian machine scored an outright win at the Goodwood Whitsun Trophy a fortnight later.
Salvadori would go on to race the one-off Cooper several more times during the 1964 season but ultimately would score no better than a third overall at Brands Hatch. Unfortunately, Tommy Atkins fell terminally ill that same year and sadly passed away in 1965. His trusted assistant, Harry Pearce would go on to join the fledgling McLaren operation. The hairy Cooper Maserati was sadly not raced again in period.
Although built by a relatively small team at Atkins' High Efficiency Motors garage, the Cooper Monaco T61P Maserati ranked among the fastest cars during the 1964 season. Following a lengthy spell in a German museum, it has most recently returned to the track, appropriately competing regularly in the Whitsun Trophy during the Goodwood Revival. << Prev Page 2 of 2